Prologue

Being a minimalist (and poor), I don’t own many items and I always try to be intentional about what I spend my money on. But there are a few things that always manage to take the cash out of me, and they are: (in descending order of value)

1. video games (I’ve bought so many games I can’t remember how much I’ve spent).
2. books (same, but they definitely cost less than games).

Do I need to explain about the spending on video games? They are just… so good and so much fun. This post, however, is about the second thing on the list.

A snapshot of my Kindle library. Not as extensive as my Steam collection, but I’m proud of it nonetheless.

But… books are boring

is what many might think when they’re suggested to read, and I absolutely agree. Reading can be insanely slow and tedious, especially when compared to other medium that that surround: movies, video games, short videos.

However, that’s precisely the point: reading turns out to be the perfect cure for a world of overstimulation. In an economy where every tech product is secretly trying to steal our attention from us, reading is how we take it back. I find that my mental state and productivity significantly improve when I allocate more time to reading instead of all the other things. I feel more composed and less anxious, and I can focus much better and think more clearly.

While the act of sitting down and turning pages are boring, the ideas contained in the books most certainly are not (at least if you pick the right books). Consuming nonfictions is a great way to either explore new ideas or delve deeper into existing ones. Most authors have probably read through dozens of (if not hundreds or more) before condensing the best and most relevant ideas into their own books, so that you don’t have to go through the same process.

Keep on reading

Back in high school I used to bought loads of books, started some, but ended up failing to finish most of them because I didn’t know how to make it stick. It was not until later that I found some effective tactics to make reading easier and more fun.

I do most of my reading on my trusty Kindle (Paperwhite 4), mostly because of how ergonomic and convenient it feels. Handling a Kindle is so much more comfortable than a physical book, and I raise it to my eye level without tiring out my hands. It’s also more portable and easier to bring around when I go out. (I do own some physical books though, because the feel of paper is undeniably sublime.)

For consistency’s sake, I try my best to make a habit out of reading. I dedicate certain time blocks for reading, which usually is the minutes between breakfast and going work in the morning (that’s the time of day when I feel most productive). I also set super low expectations, so low that I can’t fail, because setting big goals and failing is a very quick way to fail and become fed up. When I started, my goal was usually something like “5 pages per day” or “10 minutes of reading”. I increased this later when I feel more accustomed to reading, but even now it’s somewhere around “30 minutes per day”.

(Reading 30 minutes per day doesn’t sound super impressive, but hear me out: 30 minutes a day translates to around 7 books per year. As long as you can you keep at this rate, you will have read hundreds of books by the time you pass away. Not too shabby huh?)

To make reading a bit more satisfying, I constantly update my reading progress on Goodreads. The website allows you to (1) update the percentage you’ve read in individual books and (2) set a yearly challenge where you aim to finish a number of books (of your choosing). While it sounds simple, the act of updating my % read makes me aware of my progression, like I’m accomplishing something (even though I have not finished the book yet), which really pushes me to continue.

Updating reading progress is super easy, barely an inconvenience!

When it comes to discovering new books, there are a few sources that I often look into. First is exploring Goodreads’ and Amazon’s recommendations: they do a good job of suggesting new books that fit my taste. Second is some youtubers whose interests are aligned with mine: Ali Abdaal, Bill Gates (yes Bill Gates is a youtuber now),… For example, I found some of my favorite books from 2022 -  A Promised Land and Project Hail Mary - from Bill Gates here and here.

A parting gift

Before ending this article, I want to leave you with a parting gift. This beautifully shot and wonderfully narrated 40-min video was what really inspired my in 2020. It was the first time I feel that reading is not an impossible task. Some of my tactics from above is also taken from this video. Watch and enjoy.